Digital & Communications Manager

Job description

The challenge EMPN produces policy analysis and proposals to influence decisions in Brussels, Frankfurt, and national capitals — but rigorous work only matters if it reaches the right people at the right time. We are building a deliberately small, senior, and AI-leveraged team, and we are looking for the person who will own the entire bridge between our research and its audience. As Digital & Communications Manager , you will run EMPN’s outreach machine end-to-end: our website, our CRM and campaigns, our publications’ distribution, and the AI-assisted workflows that hold it all together. You will not decide what EMPN says — our senior analysts own that judgement. You own how it lands, and with whom . This is a role for someone who treats communications as a system to be built and compounded, not a series of one-off tasks, and who uses AI as a native part of how they work, not an occasional shortcut. Your role You will report to the Managing Director and work closely with our senior analysts and with Lucas, who leads our technical and AI infrastructure. You will be a solo owner of the function, with the budget to commission specialist service providers (design, video, translation, development) and the possibility of an intern as the team grows. Key responsibilities include: Website. Own EMPN's website pipeline: publishing papers, people, and events, building launch pages, and keeping the site fast, clean, and current. Digital marketing. Own our CRM (HubSpot): build and segment our audience, design and run campaigns to push our publications and events, grow our newsletter and reach deliberately, and track what works. Communications. Turn our analysts' work into reach across every channel: newsletters, LinkedIn, X, the website, and press releases. Coordinate the relaunch and translation of relevant publications from our national partners for a European audience. Press. Manage the mechanics of our media presence: maintain our journalist contacts, distribute press releases when we react to a policy event or publish a new paper, and support analysts and colleagues in placing their work. AI & tools. Work with our AI-automation expert to connect EMPN's AI infrastructure to the outreach stack — CRM, website, and production workflows — and use it to do the work of a full communications team on your own. Your profile This is what you need to bring: You have 3+ years of experience. You are AI-native in how you work. You do not use AI occasionally — it is built into your method. You draft, automate, and scale with it instinctively, and you are quick to wire new tools into your workflow. This is the single most important thing we are looking for. You know digital marketing and CRM. You have hands-on experience with a CRM (ideally HubSpot) and understand the difference between sending emails and running a growth funnel: segmentation, campaigns, launch sequences, and analytics. You can manage a website. You are comfortable owning a website end-to-end (WordPress) — publishing, formatting, building simple pages, and keeping it healthy without needing a developer for everyday work. You write clean, sharp copy. You produce clear, punchy text across formats — newsletters, LinkedIn, web, press releases — in excellent English. You orchestrate rather than do everything yourself. You know when to use a service provider, an AI tool, or an intern, and you manage them to a result. You take full ownership of the function and do not wait to be managed on every detail. You bring strong organisational skills and a solutions-focused mindset. Flexible and constructive, with strong attention to detail, a process-oriented outlook, and a real interest in building something. You speak fluent English ; French and/or other European languages are a strong asset. What would make you stand out: We would be glad to find a solid operator who runs the function reliably. We would be delighted to find someone exceptional. If the following describes you, tell us — it will change the conversation, including on compensation: You have built automation pipelines that connect tools (CRM, website, AI) so that one action triggers many, and a small team performs like a large one. You have grown an audience, a newsletter, or a digital presence from a standing start, and can show what you did and what it produced. You can configure and connect AI tools and workflows largely on your own, working with a technical lead rather than depending on one. You have worked in or close to a think tank, an EU institution, a quality media outlet, or a fast-moving digital or startup environment, and understand how ideas travel in the Brussels ecosystem. Why us? This is what we offer: Contract : A permanent contract under Belgian law. 100%, or part-time negotiable. Meaningful work : A chance to build and own the entire communications and digital function of a fast-growing European policy network from the ground up — and to define how a small, AI-leveraged team makes itself heard. A growth opportunity : As EMPN's Brussels headquarters expands, this role will offer increasing scope and the potential to build a small team beneath you. You will have access to personal and professional development opportunities and the chance to shape your role. It is an environment where your ideas can flourish, allowing you to grow into the best version of yourself. Resources to deliver : A real budget for specialist service providers — design, video, translation, development — and the tools you need, so you can orchestrate rather than do everything by hand. Competitive salary : €55,000–€80,000 annual gross, depending on experience and skills, plus a benefits package. The upper end of the band reflects demonstrated, exceptional ability across the areas above. Flexible work environment : Primarily based in Brussels with options for remote work. Inspiring colleagues : Last but not least, you will join a fantastic team at our Brussels headquarters and our parent organisation, Dezernat Zukunft, in Berlin, and work alongside inspiring partners across Europe's capitals — Paris, The Hague, Rome, Helsinki, Stockholm, and Vienna. Expect meaningful work, exciting challenges, and plenty of fun along the way.